Will the BBC’s commitment to digital switchover waiver under the new licence fee settlement? Julian Clover reports There is no doubting that the BBC has thrown itself fully behind the digital switchover process. First by launching new digital channels and later by bailing the government out of a major policy failure when ITV Digital went […]
TV2 Sport faces competition probe
Denmark’s competition authority has opened an investigation into the new Viasat-TV2 joint venture sports channel TV2 Sport. The new channel has been priced at DKr25 (€3.35), four times that of Viasat Sport 1, which has been effectively replaced by TV2 Sport. The Danish Cable Television Association (FDA) says that the channel is taking advantage of […]
Sistema eyes Telecom Italia
Sistema is preparing to buy into Telecom Italia. According to reports in both Russia’s Kommersant and the Italian agency Mergermarket, the Russian company will shortly enter talks with the Pirelli Group, which through its 80% stake in the Olimpia finance company holds an 18% stake in Telecom Italia. A deal between the two parties, which […]
Chris Dziadul Reports: Deal or no deal?
Chris Dziadul looks at proposed, completed and doubtful deals across the region The news that Russia’s Sistema may be about to buy into one of Western Europe’s most powerful multimedia companies should come as no surprise. Securing even a minority stake in Telecom Italia, which is valued at around $60 billion (€46.3 billion) and has […]
Motive secures Elion deal
The leading Estonian telco and IT provider Elion has opted for the Internet Helper high-speed data solution from Motive. It will be used by the company in the rollout of new broadband services for its residential and business customers. Elion is owned by Eesti Telekom and operates an IPTV service known as DigiTV that currently […]
Zodiak expands in Russia
Sweden’s Zodiak Television has opened a new company named Zodiak Vostok to handle production, business development and sales in Russia and the CIS. Zodiak already has a strong presence in the region through TeleAlliance, a leading Russian production company in which it holds a 51% stake.(CD)
Benelux storms take HD1 off the air
Gale force winds that have swept across the Benelux countries have taken Euro 1080’s HD services off the air. The broadcaster, based in Lint near Antwerp, said that the storms had caused it to place its Eutelsat antennas into a “survival position”. 14 people have been killed as 130km/h winds worked their way across the […]
Storm hits SBS
Both skyscrapers that form the SBS headquarters in Amsterdam were evacuated today as part of their aluminum facing was ripped off and one piece was flung through a window. Force 11 winds and gusts of up to 130km per hour blew across the country taking the lives of two people. The two buildings on the […]
Aster improves digital offer
The Polish MSO Aster has announced important changes to its digital TV offer. As of this Friday (January 19) the BasicPlus package will be increased from 25 to 38 channels, with viewers seeing no increase in their subscription fee. The new services, hitherto available just on analogue, include Zone Romantica, Zone Reality, MTV Polska and […]
All change at Inter TV
The leading Ukrainian broadcaster Inter TV is reported to have secured a company named Ukrmediaproekt as its new majority (61%) shareholder. Up until now, Dolovyy Svit had held 51% in the station, with the remaining owners being Pegas Television (20%) and Russia’s Channel One (29%). Inter TV’s new ownership structure will see Channel One retain […]